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After Delhi, 3 schools in Ahmedabad receive bomb threat email

ANI
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After Delhi, 3 schools in Ahmedabad receive bomb threat email

At least three schools in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad received bomb threats via email on Monday, police said.

The police said that they have started an investigation into the matter. Further details are awaited. Meanwhile, DCP Control Ahmedabad City said that there is no need to panic.

“No need to panic, exaggerate…5-6 schools have been threatened through mail about bomb blast…we are checking. No need to give too much hype…people should not panic as tomorrow is poll day,” said the DCP.

This comes days after multiple schools in Delhi received bomb threats. According to the Delhi police, a total of 131 schools received threat emails on May 1.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an official statement calling the email a “hoax.”

“There is no need to panic. The mail appears to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol,” the official release from the MHA read.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Cannot study or concentrate, pass everyone’: ‘Traumatised’ Columbia University students demand exam cancellation after police cracks down on pro-Palestine protests

OpIndia Staff
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‘Cannot study or concentrate, pass everyone’: ‘Traumatised’ Columbia University students demand exam cancellation after police cracks down on pro-Palestine protests

After demanding humanitarian aid, pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University in New York, USA, are demanding the cancellation of exams since they are “irrevocably shaken” due to the police action against their protest encampments.

Law students at Columbia University demanded that the authorities not hold examinations, and instead give them all passing scores. They claimed that many of them were unable to study or concentrate since their peers have been arrested.

In a letter, the student editors of Columbia Law Review asked the Columbia Law School administration for the same. “Many are unwell at this time and cannot study or concentrate while their peers are being hauled to jail,” the letter said.

“Our response is not disproportionate to the outsized impact it has had on many of us in the community – a crowd of people that proudly represent their membership in a white supremacist, neo-fascist hate group were storming our campus days ago,” the letter adds.

The letter talked about the substantial impact of the police onslaught on the student community, particularly the eviction of demonstrators from Hamilton Hall, which had been illegally occupied by them to express solidarity with the ‘Palestinian cause’.

Notably, on the 2nd of May, Columbia Law School resumed final examinations after suspending all tests earlier due to pro-Palestinian protests and the following campus shutdown. The final examinations at the school are ongoing remotely rather than in-person.

The letter stated that the school’s current exam policy raises concerns about “equity and academic integrity”.

“We believe that canceling exams would be a proportionate response to the level of distress our peers have been feeling”, the letter reads.

The letter came after the New York Police Department swung into action and arrested over a hundred pro-Intifada protesters at Columbia University and City College of New York. Reports say that the maximum arrests were made from Columbia University which has also been the epicenter of pro-Palestine protests spread across several US varsities. The building has been cleared now and has declared pro-Palestine encampments as “illegal”.

The demand for exam cancellations at Columbia Law School follows similar moves made by other schools dealing with the aftermath of the pro-Palestinian protests. Notably, the University of California and Berkeley School of Law have not changed their final exam schedules from earlier this week.

Pro-Hamas protests in US varsities funded by donors of Joe Biden: Read how George Soros, who also attacks India, Pritzker and Rockefeller are fuelling unrest

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-Hamas protests in US varsities funded by donors of Joe Biden: Read how George Soros, who also attacks India, Pritzker and Rockefeller are fuelling unrest

The anti-Israel protests at Columbia University have raised several eyebrows as these protests are not only pro-Hamas but also well-funded by billionaires like George Soros. Anti-Israel protesters have been criticising President Joe Biden for months over the American government’s support to Israel.

Biden has been repeatedly called “Genocide Joe” by the protesters. However, a report by Politico suggests that these protesting groups are being funded by organisations that are pushing for Biden’s re-election as the President of the United States. The list of donors includes Rockefeller and Pritzker along with Soros.

Rockefellers backing anti-Israel protests

Two of the organisations that have heavily funded the protests at Columbia University and other campuses are Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. Tides Foundation has backed these two organisations which are also funded by George Soros. Earlier, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was among the top donors of this organisation but they no longer provide any grants to it. Furthermore, Politico found no funding for Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow by the Gates Foundation.

Reportedly, David Rockefeller Jr, one of the top donors pushing Biden’s re-election, is on the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Tides Foundation received a USD 300,000 grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In the past five years, the Tides Foundation has given around USD 500,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace. Notably, the organisation describes itself as anti-Zionist.

Tides Foundation also provide financial support to Adalah Justice Project which was involved in the protests at Columbia University. It also supports Palestine Legal which is a legal defence fund to provide legal assistance to “student protesters” who mobilise “against genocide”. Tides has been funding Palestine Legal since 2013 and Adalah Justice Project since 2016.

In a reply to the query by Politico, Sarah Edkins, communications director of Rockefeller Brothers Fund said, “Others Fund noted it cannot support political activity or campaigns and is not involved in the personal political giving of trustees.”

Pritzker links to anti-Israel protests

Biden is also backed by Susan and Nick Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel empire. A few months ago, they donated USD 6,600 to the Biden Victory Fund and USD 300,000 during the 2020 campaign. They have also funded the anti-Israel protests at the campuses.

Some groups are funded by pro-Biden organisations that are questioning Biden’s decisions regarding Israel but not looking for an alternative to the Biden administration. One such organisation is Solitaire Action which is funded by Pritzkers. A spokesperson of the organisation barn Qaasim said, “A lot of our members are supporting actions that are trying to hold Biden accountable, which is not the same thing as opposing Biden. It’s saying we desperately don’t want the alternative.”

Another group funded by Pritzker is the Libra Foundation which actively funds small groups in the name of “criminal justice, environment and gender justice”. Climate Justice Alliance, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, Immigrant Defence Project and others have promoted anti-Israel protests. All of these were funded by the Libra Foundation.

Intensified protests by groups backed by pro-Biden organisations

Such donations raise the question if there is any line between liberal causes and Democratic politics. Interestingly, the protests funded by these organisations have become intense. The protesters do not hesitate to take over university buildings and raise slogans that are anti-Semitic.

In short, these organisations fund anything and everything without going into the day-to-day businesses of the groups that receive the grants or subgrants. These funds, in a way, admit to giving money to disruptive organisations that may lead to law and order problems in the country.

Criticism by Democrats

Violent acts of the protesters have attracted a lot of criticism. Politico quoted Elisha Wiesel of the Elie Wiesel Foundation questioning Rockefeller Fund backing Jewish Voice for Peace. Elisha said, “Why [is the Rockefeller Fund] giving significant grants to Jewish Voice for Peace, [which] blamed the horrific Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the United States rather than Hamas?” Notably, Elisha is one of the Democratic donors and chair Elie Wiesel Foundation. The organisation support anti-genocide work.

Some organisations prefer not to fund groups that are pro-Hamas. Daniel Goldwin, who is public affairs executive director of the Jewish United Fund in Chicago said, “We’re hearing from folks who want to make sure that their dollars aren’t supporting people who are supporting Hamas and shouting antisemitic things. If it’s an organization they’ve been giving to for a long time, we encourage them to call and communicate their concerns.”

Jewish Voice for Peace blame Israel for the October terror attack

Interestingly, the Jewish Voice for Peace blamed Israel for the 7th October terrorist attack. Immediately after the Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed over 1,300 people, Jewish Voice for Peace issued a statement blaming Israel and the US for the attack. The statement read, “The Israeli government may have just declared war, but its war on Palestinians started over 75 years ago. Israeli apartheid and occupation — and United States complicity in that oppression — are the source of all this violence. Reality is shaped by when you start the clock.”

The organisation claimed that Hamas initiated the terror attack killing hundreds of Israelis as the result of “16 years of Israeli military blockade”. The statement did not mention Hamas, the terrorist organisation, but called them “Palestinian fighters”.

Democrats believe protests won’t affect Biden’s election campaign

While the Biden administration is facing criticism for supporting Israel, there are some Democrats who believe these protests would not affect Biden’s election campaign. Jill Zipin, co-founder and chair of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, one of the Democrats’ backers, claimed foreign policy does not determine the elections. He said, “The protest movement and the encampments probably won’t be an issue in November, but it’s really hard to say because things can change quickly.”

Omar Wasow, a scholar who studies protest movements and their political effects chose the sentiment and said, “If it [the protests] somehow winds down, you see Americans don’t care a lot about foreign policy, and it’s likely to not to play out in the election.”

George Soros funding anti-Israel protests

In a commentary published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), journalist Ira Stoll emphasised, “Two of America’s largest philanthropic foundations are behind a group that has paid some of the anti-Israel activists for the kind of antics disrupting campuses across the country.”

He pointed out that two of the student activists, namely Malak Afaneh and Craig Birckhead-Morton, who were involved in anti-Semitic protests and subsequently arrested by the police, were ‘youth fellows‘ of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

According to Ira Stoll, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights pays $2880-$3360 to ‘campus-based fellows’ for 8 hours of work/ week for 3 months. The said work includes campaigning for cutting military, financial, and diplomatic ties of the United States with Israel.

He added that the fellowships were sponsored by ‘Education for Just Peace in the Middle East’, receiving $7,00,000 from Open Society Foundations (OSF) run by George and Alex Soros since 2018. The corporate entity was also given $5,15,000 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund between 2019 and 2023. “Do the Rockefeller and Soros families want their money to be used to advocate for Hamas’s war aims?” asked Ira Stoll.

OpIndia had earlier reported how ‘The People’s Forum’, which has been at the helm of anti-Israeli protests in the United States, came under the scanner over its financing by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) supporter Neville Roy Singham.

George Soros’s attack on India

Notably, George Soros has been actively propagating to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power. He has been funding multiple organisations in the country to create political instability. Interestingly, in a recent report by the US Sate Department on Human Rights in India, accusations against George Soros were whitewashed as ‘antisemitism’. The Human Rights Practices report read, “Government officials made public statements and released social media posts alleging certain opposition political party figures and diaspora leaders were connected to George Soros, playing on an antisemitic conspiracy theory of an “all-controlling Jewish individual” who was influencing events in the country. On October 6, the BJP’s official X account posted an edited image depicting Rahul Gandhi being controlled by Soros.” While US State Department claim any accusation against Soros is anti-Semitism, the billionaire himself is funding organisations that prominently call themselves anti-Zionists.

Spooked by Rajnath Singh’s comment, Abdullah furthers Pakistan’s perpetual ‘humare paas bumb hai’ trope: How Gupkar gang always bats for the enemy

Shraddha Pandey
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Spooked by Rajnath Singh’s comment, Abdullah furthers Pakistan’s perpetual ‘humare paas bumb hai’ trope: How Gupkar gang always bats for the enemy

The anguish of Article 370’s abrogation has yet to subside, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has rattled the Gupkar gang by advocating for reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Behaving like a true loyalist of Pakistan Farooq Abdullah, the J&K National Conference supremo said on the 5th of May, that “Pakistan is not wearing bangles” and “has atom bombs”.

“If the defence minister is saying it then go ahead. Who are we to stop? But remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us,” Farooq Abdullah said during a media interaction on Sunday.

The Gupkar gang member’s statement came after Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an interview with PTI said that India will continue to assert its legitimate claim on PoK, however, he emphasised that India will not have to use force and the occupied region will eventually choose to merge with India seeing unprecedented development in Jammu and Kashmir and return of peace in the region.

“I think India will not have to do anything. The way the ground situation has changed in Jammu and Kashmir, the way the region is witnessing economic progress and the way peace has returned there, I think demands will emerge from people of PoK that they should merge with India,” Singh said.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Farooq Abdullah has batted for Pakistan. Abdullah has time and again emphasised that the Modi government should resume ‘talks’ with Pakistan to resolve disputes and ensure peace in J&K. In his bid to make Pakistan relevant against the so-called ‘Kashmir cause’, Abdullah in December last year claimed that Kashmir would become Gaza if the Indian government didn’t resume talks with Pakistan even as the Modi government has made it clear that it will not hold any talks with Pakistan unless the country stops cross border terrorism against India.

“If we do not find a solution through dialogue, we will meet the same fate as Gaza and Palestine, which are being bombed by Israel,” Farooq Abdullah said.

Amusingly, Abdullah had once batted even for China saying that Kashmiris would prefer to be ruled by China than India adding that the people of Kashmir “do not feel or want to be Indian”.

Gupkar gang’s pro-Pakistan advocacy

It is worth noting that Farooq Abdullah is the chairman of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), also known as the Gupkar Gang. It was established to reinstate Article 370, in Jammu and Kashmir. In October 2020, six parties formed the Gupkar Gang to reinstate Articles 370 and 35A and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. The National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Conference (PC), Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M), Peoples Movement (PM), and Awami National Conference (ANC) were the first to ally. Congress joined the gang in November 2020. Notably, although Pakistan’s opinion on India’s internal issues doesn’t matter, the country has vehemently opposed the abrogation of J&K’s special status.

In 2019, JKNC leader Omar Abdullah said that not the terrorists and Pakistan but those intending to repeal the special status of Jammu and Kashmir are a threat to the region. “J-K does not face as much threat from a neighbouring country or the muzzle of gun as it faces from the forces who are hell-bent on destroying the special status of the state,” he said.

Alongside Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti also has been batting for Pakistan and inciting violence in Kashmir over the years. Back in 2019, Mufti had threatened that if the BJP repealed Articles 35A and 370 as promised in its poll manifesto, the whole country would burn along with J&K. The Gupkar gang allies act as the first line of defence for Pakistan. When any Indian politician makes any comments about Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism or their nuclear bomb threats, the Gupkar gang ‘leaders’ respond even before Pakistan does.

Back in April 2019, PM Modi took a swipe at Pakistan’s nuclear threat saying “we also have nuclear bombs and we have not kept them for Diwali.” Mehboob Mufti was quick to say that even Pakistan has not kept its nuclear bomb for Eid. “Jo Pakistan ke pass honge, vo bhi Eid ke liye nahi rakhe honge. Ye hissab baraabar hota hai”, Mufti said.

Alongside openly playing for Pakistan, a perpetual adversary to India, Mehbooba Mufti also defends those cheering for Pakistan. In the year 2021, Mufti penned a letter to PM Modi to intervene in the matter of the arrests of three Kashmiri students in Agra for celebrating the win of the Pakistan cricket team against India in the T20 World Cup. She wrote that the “sense of patriotism cannot be forced on people”.

Gupkar gang leader’s batting for Pakistan despite the country being notorious for funding and shielding terrorists on its soil is not surprising given these people have backed the Islamist terrorist group Taliban in Afghanistan. After the Taliban formed an interim government in 2021 following a violent takeover of the country, Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti batted for the Jihadi regime in Afghanistan and ‘hoped’ the Talibs would be able to ‘change the perspective of the world’ towards them.

Pakistan in perpetual “humare pass bomb hai” mode

Pakistan, the self-proclaimed Riyasat-e-Medina has a track record of giving nuclear threats to India. Back in 2022, Pakistani minister Shazia Marri had ‘reminded’ India that its hostile neighbour has nuclear bombs after India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar slammed Pakistan at the UN for its terrorism. “Our nuclear status is not meant to remain silent. We will not back down if the need arises,” she said.

In February last year, Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif had claimed that India would not be able to cast an evil eye on his nuclear-armed country, which has the “power to pullout the enemy’s evil eye and crush it under its feet.” The Pakistan PM also raked up the Kashmir issue again by underlining the need of gaining economic and political stability “to get freedom for the Kashmiris.” The Pakistani PM’s provocative statement came at a time when his country was facing the worst economic crisis.

By threatening that Pakistan has atom bombs and it would nuke India if it ‘dares’ to reclaim PoK, the Gupkar gang is exposing its own secessionist colours. With the removal of Article 370, these politicians have been desperately trying to regain their lost relevance. In their bid to become relevant again in Kashmiri politics they want to bring Pakistan back into the context to keep the sinister ‘Azadi’ agenda alive and to thrive by reigniting the conflict.

Jharkhand: ED raids household help of Congress leader Alamgir Alam close to Rahul Gandhi, recovers ₹25 crore cash so far

ANI
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Jharkhand: ED raids household help of Congress leader Alamgir Alam close to Rahul Gandhi, recovers ₹25 crore cash so far

The Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at multiple locations in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand. Early on Monday morning, the agency recovered huge amounts of cash from the household help of Sanjiv Lal – Personal Secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister and Senior Congress leader from the state, Alamgir Alam.

This recovery is in connection with the ongoing investigation into the case of Virendra K. Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department.

In 2019, a huge amount of cash was recovered from one of his subordinates. Later, the ED took over the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

ED had arrested Virendra K. Ram in February 2023 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes.

He was nabbed by the ED after it launched multiple searches on February 21, 2023, in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and a few other places in Jharkhand, Bihar and Delhi.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Hoping that this pronoun illness doesn’t reach India’: Ola co-founder slams woke culture, speaks out about schools brainwashing kids

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hoping that this pronoun illness doesn’t reach India’: Ola co-founder slams woke culture, speaks out about schools brainwashing kids

On Monday (6th May), Ola co-founder and entrepreneur Bhavish Aggarwal slammed the Western woke culture and the invasion of ‘pronoun illness’ in India.

In a tweet, he talked about LinkedIn’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) bot and its reference to him with pronouns such as ‘they/ their.’ Bhavish Aggarwal then raised alarm about multinational companies indoctrinating unsuspecting Indians with ‘pronoun illness.’

He wrote, “Hoping that this “pronoun illness” doesn’t reach India. Many “big city schools” in India are now teaching it to kids. Also see many CVs with pronouns these days. Need to know where to draw the line in following the west blindly!”

“(The) screenshot is from LinkedIn’s AI bot. This “pronouns illness” is being perpetuated in India by MNCs without us Indians even realising it,” the OLA co-founder cautioned.

He further emphasised, “Most of us in India have no clue about politics of this pronouns illness. People do it because it’s become expected in our corporate culture, especially MNCs.”

“Better to send this illness back where it came from. Our culture has always had respect for all. No need for new pronouns,” Bhavish Aggarwal concluded.

Netizens were amazed that a top Indian entrepreneur finally took a firm stand against the mass indoctrination of Indians in the name of inclusivity. “Indian languages are mostly gender neutral. We can’t blindly import a Western disease,” wrote X user Ganesh.

“It has reached… backed by MNCs and Social Media! Infact in some companies not having a pronoun in your signature or internal profile can get you sidelined for promotions,” another X user pointed out.

Another X user wrote, “We just need Employers like you to stand the ground and it wont.”

The ‘pronoun illness’ is a part of the larger ‘woke culture’ that has now infiltrated Western society. New and ever-changing pronouns of woke individuals and their diverse gender identities are just the tip of the iceberg.

Once such deranged behaviour finds acceptance in society, it gives way to historical distortion, the creation of unsafe spaces for women, the grooming of vulnerable children and destruction of social and family values.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar slaps party worker for putting his hand around Shivakumar’s shoulder during campaigning, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar slaps party worker for putting his hand around Shivakumar’s shoulder during campaigning, video goes viral

During his campaign trail, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar slapped a party worker in Haveri, Karnataka, sparking a fresh controversy. The incident was caught on camera in which the Karnataka CM could be seen hitting a party worker after he put his hands around his shoulder trying to pose for a picture. After the video went viral, BJP slammed the leader for his action.

As per the information received, the worker in the video is a Congress Municipal member Allauddin Maniar. 

The incident reportedly took place when Shivakumar was campaigning for Congress Lok Sabha candidate Vinoda Asooti in Savanur town. In the viral video, he appears to be exiting a vehicle which is surrounded by a crowd of party workers. Subsequently, a Congress worker attempts to put his hands around Shivakumar’s shoulders, prompting the latter to slap him. After the Police officials intervened, Shivakumar walked away.

BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on the Congress leader asserting that this was not the first time when Shivakumar assaulted his party workers. 

BJP leader and Head of the party’s IT cell, Amit Malviya condemned the incident. Sharing the video, he criticised Shivakumar’s actions and highlighted previous instances where Shivakumar allegedly assaulted Congress workers. 

Taking to X, he wrote, “Karnataka’s DCM, DK Shivakumar, slaps Congress Municipal Member Allauddin Maniar, while campaigning in Savanur town of Haveri. This is not the first time DK has assaulted a Congress worker. His crime? He happened to put his hands on DK Shivakumar’s shoulder, when the latter stepped out of the car.” 

He added, “I wonder why do Congress workers even want to work for the Congress? Their leaders slap them, humiliate them, don’t give them tickets to contest (all of them are cornered by family members)… Is it for the corruption money they make on the side? No self-respect?” 

Additionally, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the grand old party claiming that the reason for these incidents is the “Nawabi mindset of Congress”. 

He wrote, “First Congress’ Jeevan Reddy slaps an elderly woman! Now DK Shivkumar slaps a congress worker. Nawabi mindset of Congress. Congress ki pehchaan – janta aur worker ka apman. Imagine if they are like this before elections what will they do after! Threaten voters, Abuse them, Beat them. Muhabbat Ki dukaan !!?? ECI pls act.” 

Earlier, T. Jeevan Reddy, a senior Congress leader and candidate from Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, sparked controversy when a video surfaced showing him slapping a woman during campaigning in a village within the Armur Assembly segment.

Jeevan Reddy reportedly slapped a woman, a laborer under the rural employment guarantee scheme, after she stated her intention to vote for the ‘flower’ symbol in the May 13 election. The BJP’s symbol is the lotus, a flower.

Hamas Megaphones would not have freedom of expression: Netanyahu govt shuts down Al Jazeera in Israel, issues orders to close offices and confiscate equipment  

OpIndia Staff
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Hamas Megaphones would not have freedom of expression: Netanyahu govt shuts down Al Jazeera in Israel, issues orders to close offices and confiscate equipment  

On Sunday (5th May), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israeli government authorised the shutdown of Al Jazeera News Networks’ operations in the Jewish nation-state. This comes after his cabinet unanimously authorised the closure of Al Jazeera’s operations in line with a law passed by the Knesset in April. It allowed the government temporary closure of foreign media outlets deemed to be harming national security. According to Reuters, the Israeli cabinet asserted that the Qatari television network “threatened national security”. 

The cabinet approved the decision in line with a law passed in April by the Knesset, allowing the government to temporarily shut down Al Jazeera in Israel. The so-called Al Jazeera law allowed the govt to prevent foreign news networks from operating in Israel if they are deemed by the security services to be harming national security. After the law was passed, PM Netanyahu had said that Qatar-funded Al Jazeera will no longer be allowed to broadcast from Israel.

Following the government decision, PM Netanyahu and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi released a joint press release. In the press release, Netanyahu described the Qatari-funded news channel as a mouthpiece of Hamas.  

He said, “Al Jazeera’s journalists have harmed Israeli security and incited against IDF soldiers. The time has come to eject Hamas’s mouthpiece from our country.” Taking to X, he wrote in Hebrew, “The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel.”

Following the cabinet decision, Minister Shlomo Karhi signed four orders implementing the ban and said that “megaphones for Hamas” would not have freedom of expression in Israel.

The Communications Minister signed four orders to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations

As per the first order, Al Jazeera’s offices in West and East Jerusalem will now be closed down. A separate order instructed television providers to stop broadcasting the Al Jazeera channel. The third order instructed that the channel’s broadcast equipment, including cell phones, except those for personal use should be confiscated. 

Additionally, Al Jazeera’s workstations, cameras, microphones, servers, laptops, external hard drives, video compression equipment, and wireless broadcast equipment will also be confiscated as per this order.  

The fourth order instructed television, cell phone, and internet providers to block access to Al Jazeera’s English and Arabic language websites.

After signing the orders, Karhi said, “Too much time has passed and there have been too many unnecessary legal hurdles in order to finally stop the well-oiled incitement machine of Al Jazeera, which harms the security of the state.” 

He added, “We will act immediately against those who use freedom of the press to harm Israeli security and IDF troops, and incite to terrorism at a time of war.”

Speaking to Reuters, the head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Walid Omary described the Israel government’s decision as “dangerous” and motivated by political rather than professional considerations. Omary added that the network’s legal team was preparing a response.

The legal debate and politics

The vote to close Al Jazeera was postponed on Thursday. The National Unity party which boycotted the Sunday’s vote, claimed that the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet (Intelligence agencies in Israel) expressed concerns that shutting down the Qatari-backed channel could negatively impact the hostage negotiations with Hamas terrorists. 

While the vote in the cabinet was unanimous, the National Unity Party, led by war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, had boycotted it. After the decision was approved, the party claimed it supported the measure but expressed concern that the timing could harm the hostage negotiations.

Economy Minister Nir Barkat described the Qatari network as “the biggest engine of antisemitism in the world,” and welcomed the decision.

Meanwhile, an order to close a foreign news channel must undergo judicial review by the president of a district court within 24 hours. The court then has three days to determine whether the order will be enacted. According to the temporary law passed in April, foreign media networks can be closed for a 45-day period, which can then be renewed. It was passed as a temporary law and is set to expire on 31st July or earlier, if the government lifts the declaration of an emergency situation.

According to The Times of Israel, the House of Representatives in Israel, Knesset, passed a law on 1st April that gave the government temporary powers to prevent foreign news networks from operating in Israel. The government can ban the channel if it believes its presence in the country harms national security. The law was passed 71 to 10 in its second and third readings. 

Following the general vote, Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi said the channel would be closed soon. 

In line with the legal requirement, the Israeli Minister asserted on Sunday (5th May) that the decision was made “after supporting position papers were received and the prime minister was convinced, in accordance with the law” in reference to the law’s requirements that the security services issue professional opinions that the outlet in question poses a threat to national security.

British actor Bernard Hill, who played King Theoden in ‘Lord of the Rings’ and Captain Smith in ‘Titanic’, passes away

ANI
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British actor Bernard Hill, who played King Theoden in ‘Lord of the Rings’ and Captain Smith in ‘Titanic’, passes away

Bernard Hill, the esteemed British actor whose compelling performances graced some of the most iconic films of recent decades, including ‘Titanic’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, has died at the age of 79.

Actor and singer Barbara Dickson confirmed the news on X by sharing a black and white picture of herself with the late actor and wrote, “It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975. A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x #bernardhill”.

Born in Manchester, England, Hill rose to prominence with his portrayal of Yosser Hughes in the acclaimed BBC TV drama ‘Boys from the Blackstuff.’

His depiction of Hughes, a proud yet desperate man grappling with unemployment in ‘Liverpool’ during the early 1980s, earned him widespread recognition for his exceptional acting skills.

However, it was Hill’s roles in two monumental blockbusters that solidified his status as a household name.

In James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ (1997), he portrayed Captain Edward Smith, the stoic yet tragic commander of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. His performance added depth to the historical figure, capturing both the nobility and the tragic oversight of the captain.

Similarly, in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, Hill portrayed King Theoden of Rohan. His portrayal of the manipulated monarch’s transformation into a courageous leader resonated with audiences, particularly in memorable battle scenes like the Battle of Helm’s Deep.

Throughout his career, Hill displayed versatility across various genres and platforms, showcasing his dedication to the craft of acting.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Uttar Pradesh: Tahir Ali, his associate gang rape girl in forest till she lost consciousness, gets shot in leg during encounter with police, hunt on for other accused

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Tahir Ali, his associate gang rape girl in forest till she lost consciousness, gets shot in leg during encounter with police, hunt on for other accused

An encounter between the police and miscreants took place on the morning of 4th May in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district in which a man named Tahir Ali was shot in the leg. He has been arrested and sent to jail after medical treatment. An illegal pistol and cartridges have been recovered from him. He is a history-sheeter and has a total of 13 cases against him. He and his accomplice raped a 20-year-old girl on 2nd May. She fainted due to the brutal sexual assault and sought help from the villagers in her naked condition. Now, the authorities are searching for the other man.

The case pertains to the Sahjanwa police station neighbourhood of Gorakhpur district. This case belongs to the Sahjanwa police station area of Gorakhpur district. A complaint was submitted here on 3rd May by the father of the victim who is originally from Jiyanpur, Azamgarh. He stated that a day earlier his daughter had left home at 7 pm without telling anyone following a disagreement with her family. He searched for her all night among their relatives and friends. The next morning he came to know that she was in the Sahjanwa region and immediately reached there.

She narrated her entire ordeal after seeing her father. She recounted that she met a young man when she walked out of her residence out of fury. He seduced her and brought her to Gorakhpur. Tahir Ali had reportedly tricked her in the name of securing a job in Gorakhpur. On the night of 2nd May, he took her to a forest in Sahjanwa and he had also called one of his friends there. Both of them then proceeded to sexually violate her throughout the night. They abused her on a riverside within the forested area after administering an intoxicating substance.

Later, the person who brought the young woman from Azamgarh to Gorakhpur was identified as Tahir Ali. According to media reports, Tahir Ali and another accused scratched her entire body during the night. She passed out in the forest from the repeated rape after which they left her unconscious and absconded from there. The girl found herself in a nude state when she regained consciousness and went to a nearby hamlet in the same condition where she was helped by the villagers. She was dressed and the matter was reported to the police.

The girl’s father was notified by the authorities and they registered a First Information Report under Section 376(D) for gang-rape of the Indian Penal Code on his complaint. Tahir Ali was recognized as the primary offender case by the cops who launched a search operation for him on 4th May. His location was discovered to be in Ranukhor village and the police surrounded him. He started firing after seeing the cops and one of the retaliatory shots struck his leg.

The police apprehended the injured Tahir Ali. He was admitted to the hospital and thrown behind bars afterwards. Tahir Ali is a native of Khalilabad of Sant Kabirnagar district. A hunt is on for the second culprit. According to the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gorakhpur, the police are investigating the matter and taking necessary action. Police seized a .315 bore pistol, three cartridge shells and one cartridge from his possession. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint.

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